Depth of Secrets
by marcasite
Summary: Does the end justify the means?


For Joyce for allowing me to be the silly fangirl I am with all my fandoms.

Spoilers for "In the Wee Small Hours"

Alex stared down into her drink watching the amber colored liquid swirl around. The color reminded her of the setting sun she use to watch as a little girl; its color creeping away from the land only to have the darkness of the night blanket around it. Unshed tears stung behind her eyes, seeking the release she wouldn't permit. She was disappointed with this case, disgusted with the whole family and emotionally drained. She just wanted to forget for one night and start the cycle all over tomorrow. She brought the glass to her lips wanting to savor the slide of the liquor as it made its way down her throat. A hand reached out and grabbed the glass before she could drink from it. Caught off guard she turned to retrieve her glass and looked up into eyes of her partner.

"That was mine," she murmured, still trying to reach out for it.

"What's this, your first or third?" deep brown eyes mocked down at her. He drank the rest of the liquid and placed the empty glass in front of her. "Mind if I sit?"

"You can sit if you'd like, I was just leaving. Goodnight, Bobby" Alex reached for her wallet and tossed a couple of bills on the bar. Grabbing her coat she tried to brush past Bobby only to have him reach over and grab her arm.

"It doesn't change anything, Eames. Stay."

She wanted to, really needed to explain to him why she was so angry and how much this case has affected her. "I have to go, Bobby. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

He only stared at her and with that she lost her will power; suddenly she really had no where else to be. "One drink, I'll stay for one drink."

Bobby half smiled; lifted his arm to gain the bartenders attention and pointed to Alex's empty glass; indicating two refills. He turned to face Alex who was staring straight ahead into the glass behind the bottles of liquor on the wall. "It doesn't change anything."

"You said that already. It does. It doesn't. Maybe _I_ need the change, Bobby. Maybe I'm the one who's tired of watching these scumbags get off on technicalities and seeing whole families destroyed." The bartender dropped off their drinks and Alex eagerly reached for her glass. "I stood there and watched a 'pillar of the community' walk away after all this while his wife and son are going to do time. It doesn't make for happy endings."

"He'll be doing time as well, and his reputation is destroyed. He really has nothing now, does he?" Bobby mimicked her movements with his own drink. "Eames, what's this really about? C'mon don't tell me you didn't enjoy working with Logan and Barek."

Alex smirked up at Bobby but decided to just let that one go. She reached out a hand to Bobby's arm and stared into her glass as she spoke, "I'm sorry. I know I said it earlier but I wanted to say it again, without a lot of people around. Sorry about your mother, what they put her through, sorry about the letter. Hell, I'm even sorry they were digging around in Logan's past; although I'm sure that one was pretty easy to do." She quickly withdrew her hand but Bobby was too fast and his hand snaked out to grab hers. "Bobby, you know I would never purposely keep anything from you, right? My husband, my family, even when I found out I was pregnant. You were the first person I wanted to tell."

Bobby didn't say anything, just continued to hold her hand as she looked at him. He leaned back and she used that opportunity to gain her hand back from his grasp. She hated when she got opened up to him and he remained stoic; shuttered off from her. She rapidly finished her drink and repeated the motions she had started earlier when she had tried to leave last.

Bobby finished his drink and turned to look at her, "Do you think the defense will be asking themselves tomorrow if the end justified the means? Probably not but this is what we do, Eames, what we are and sometimes we have to pay those prices."

"Sometimes, Bobby, the price is too high and the rewards are few. There are times when things should just be left unspoken; left alone. I think we should let this one go and call it a draw. I'll see you in the morning." With that, she turned to leave the bar.

"It doesn't change anything, Alex." Bobby called out after her.

She kept moving, weaving her way through the crowd.

"_I know, Bobby. Sometimes that's the problem. It doesn't change. Nothing changes." _


End file.
